Children take part in game and fun activities as various activities were held in different theme zones during open day at the School of Foundation Training, Hong Kong Police College (Wong Chuk Hang Campus) as part of the National Security Education Day, April 15, 2023. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG – Hong Kong people on Saturday deepened their understanding of national security and how they can contribute to its protection through citywide activities that were held to mark the 8th National Security Education Day, which was also the first to be held since the city returned to normalcy following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The day began with a flag raising ceremony on Saturday morning at the Hong Kong Police College in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong Island. The disciplined services under the Security Bureau and many youth uniformed groups attended the ceremony.

Officiating the ceremony, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said National Security Education Day is a vital part of promoting national security education, which aims to enhance people's understanding of the importance of national security, the Constitution and the Basic Law, as well as to strengthen their sense of national identity and awareness of the need to abide by the law.

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Five training schools of the disciplined services also opened to the public on Saturday. At the police college, visitors could gain first-hand experience of the roles and duties of the police force through grand shows performed by the Force Escort Group, the Police Band, the Police Dog Unit and Counter Terrorism Response Unit. 

Across the city's 18 districts, over 60 activities were held to mark the education day, including seminars, exhibitions, carnivals, football games, and bus parades

They also had the opportunity to visit promotion booths, equipment displays, and to take part in virtual reality games to enhance their understanding of police work.

A visitor surnamed Yeung who attended the open day at the police college said she was impressed by the police officers’ professional skills in arresting criminals, as played out during the drills. She said she is confident in the police force’s professionalism and feels secure because of their protection of national security.

The activities of the Immigration Service Institute of Training and Development attracted more than 2,700 local residents. Exhibitions were held to introduce technologies used to detect suspicious credentials, anti-terrorism work, and the equipment of the institute. One booth used virtual reality technologies to showcase the views of rockets entering outer space, and rovers landing on Mars. 

Across the city's 18 districts, over 60 activities were held to mark the education day, including seminars, exhibitions, carnivals, football games, and bus parades.

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According to the government's plan, 30 workshops on national security will be conducted at primary schools, with some 60,000 pictorial books on the same theme being distributed at the campuses. The SAR government also prepared TV programs and exhibitions to explain the importance of national security.

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The National Security Law of the People’s Republic of China was adopted on July 1, 2015, at the 15th Session of the Standing Committee of the 12th National People’s Congress, and April 15 was designated as National Security Education Day each year.

HongKong Police College (Wong Chuk Hang Campus) has been open to the public to celebrate National Security Education Day on Saturday, attracting many primary and secondary school students to participate. Chan Hing-yee, a secondary school vice-principal, told China Daily Hong Kong that the students were deeply impressed by the brilliant performances, which have helped them deepen their understanding of police work and the importance of national security. Click on the video to learn more.

After addressing the opening ceremony of National Security Education Day 2023 in the morning, Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of State Council, continued his six-day inspection in Hong Kong.

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He visited the City Gallery at Central, the city’s first exhibition hall with the theme of urban planning and infrastructure development; and the police force’s operational base at Heung Yuen Wai control point in the New Territories.

Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho said she introduced the city's Northern Metropolis blueprint and the reclamation project of Kau Yi Chau Artificial Island to Xia, reflecting Hong Kong’s approaches to coping with land shortages and seeking coordinated development with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. 

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Xia believes the far-sighted projects will further enhance local residents’ well-being and boost the city’s long-term development. He also expressed hopes for local communities to unite together and support the government’s work, according to Linn.

Florence Li contributed to the story.